Expressing comparable degree with "you"

有 (yǒu), besides just meaning "to have," can also be used in comparisons. It's what you use instead of 比 (bǐ) if something is "as [Adj.] as" something else.

Structure

The structure is very straightforward. It literally means "A has B's [Adj.]." The meaning is "A is as [Adj.] as B." This pattern is often used in questions. Note that B is usually the one that the speaker is in favor of.

A + 有 + B + Adj. + 吗 ？

Examples

• 他 有 我 帅 吗 ？Tā yǒu wǒ shuài ma?Is he as handsome as me?
• 你 有 老板 忙 吗 ？Nǐ yǒu lǎobǎn máng ma?Are you as busy as the boss?
• 他 有 姚明 高 吗 ？Tā yǒu Yáo Míng gāo ma?Is he as tall as YaoMing?
• 纽约 人口 有 上海 人口 多 吗 ？Niǔyuē rénkǒu yǒu Shànghǎi rénkǒu duō ma?Is the population of New York city as big as that of Shanghai?

If a verb is included in this pattern to talk about an action, use this structure below:

A + 有 + B + Verb + 得 + Adj. + 吗 ？

A few examples:

• 你 有 他 说 得 好 吗 ？Nǐ yǒu tā shuō de hǎo ma?Can you speak as well as he does?
• 你 有 Bolt 跑 得 快 吗 ？Nǐ yǒu Bolt pǎo de kuài?Can you run as fast as Bolt does?
• 他 有 老师 懂 得 多 吗 ？Tā yǒu lǎoshī dǒng de duō ma?Does he understand even more about the teacher?

This form is often used with 这么 or 那么, which in this case means "as much." And it indicates that B is already very [Adj.]. When B is absent, 那么 mean "so" or "that".

A few examples:

• 他 有 姚明 那么 高 吗 ？Tā yǒu Yáo Míng nàme gāo ma?Is he as tall as YaoMing?
• 你 有 Bill Gates 那么 有钱 吗 ？Nǐ yǒu Bill Gates nàme yǒuqián ma?Are you as rich as Bill Gates?
• 她 有 那么 漂亮 吗 ？Tā yǒu nàme piàoliang ma?Is she that pretty? Really?
• 这个 药 有 那么 神奇 吗 ？Zhège yào yǒu nàme shénqí ma?Is this medicine that magical? Really?

See also

• Basic comparisons with "meiyou"
• Basic comparisons with "bi"
• Basic comparisons with "bu bi"
• Comparisons with "buru"
• Basic comparisons with "yiyang"

Sources and further reading

Books

• New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 33-4) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• 现代汉语八百词 (pp. 631) 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy